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In a recent issue of a popular bike rag, I came across a hub by Fallbrook Technologies called the NuVinci hub. It was discussed on these forums about a year ago, and dismissed as yet another oddity, like the bikes with driveshafts or whatnot.

I checked Fallbrook's website, and since the deal they swung with Ellsworth (that was mentioned in the magazine), they got a round of funding, and managed to make a deal with Currie, a maker of hybrid vehicles.

I'm still not convinced this will be the thing that replaces derailleurs on every bicycle out there, but wondering if there is any real use for this CVP (continuously variable planetary) hub in the bicycling world, other than a curiousity next to the "all wheel" bicycle with two driveshafts and the eccentric bicycles where the hub was put not at the exact center of the wheel deliberately.

Looks like a commuter/ city-bike product, with a similar gear range to the 8-speed internal hubs from Shimano and SRAM. I wonder at the price, as most of those internal geared hubs are not very expensive right now. I guess there are motorized applications proposed besides those with bicycles. Would save there on the need for a clutch.